Swissdictator:
I rarely if ever see Dwarfs with swords. It is either axes or hammers. While I can see the hammers having a reason for being popular, the axes confuse me personally. I don’t see why they love axes so much, yet I almost never (if ever) see swords.
Considering we’re twisted forsaken cousins of the Dwarfs, and we have lost certain traits like they have… why haven’t we adopted the use of swords or scimitars? There are a couple big hat models with them, but that’s it. Why not as a whole? Would it fit Chaos Dwarfs to have massive amounts of swords or scimitars?
Rules wise they’d be the same, and for great weapons we’d just take bigger ones.
Can someone explain to me the love of axes/hammers over swords/scimitars? It’s pretty much an aesthetic reason, and all can look cool, but I’m just wondering about the fluf behind it.
Tarrakk Blackhand:
Hmmm…this is simular to my thread on Hobgoblin weapons. 
I just wonder if it isn’t one of these things where GW makes an athestetic weapon and it winds up on all their mini’s.
However, I also think it goes with J.R.R. Toilken’s description of Dwarfs. All of them carry axes and they are based on Vikings who used axes for cutting lumber as well as a weapon.
TLTG:
For me it’s convenience. My melee dwarves are made with marauder arms, and axes are both plentiful and sweet looking. Plus I like some element of uniformity and the Black Orcs are carrying axes.
Tarrakk Blackhand:
CD’s might carry the axes as they are related to the good dwarfs and have a simular history with using axes.
GRNDL:
Hammers are used in the forge. Dwarves are craftsmen, thus feel at home with hammers. Axes work like hammers, mostly. Swords are not. Dwarves like the feel of heavy metal in their hands!!
Border Reiver:
In a very old story, Dwarfs are simple, peaceful craftsmen with no weapons. When orcs come a calling, the are forced to use their tools (axes, hammers and picks) to fight them off. And now its tradition - and we all know how the stunty ones feel about that.
Maul:
I agree with Border Reiver. I think a sword works best when you are taller and more agile. The dwarfs use weapons of forced where brute strength and leverage, like axes, picks, hammers, and morning stars.
That being said, my great weapon chaos dwarves will be made largely using BFSP miners with their pick cut-off and the blade end of a Skaven spear attacked. The end effect will be something like a glaive.
Allanp:
i agree with maul. i think it just suits a dwarf to have a brute weapon. its kind of similar to thinking about a hammer in the hands of an elf. in the same way that an elf is graceful and agile and so carries a weapon of grace and almost chivalric status, a dwarf would be much happier with a big solid lump of steel in his iron grasp.
( and i do apologise for mentioning an elf on a dwarf site of any kind. forgiveness begged!!)
dedwrekka:
First answer
Because Tolkien’s dwarfs used them.
Second answer
Because a hammer and axe are more solid, reliable weapons, less likely to break after usage than swords, and easier to produce in numbers reliably. Swords bend, crack, warp after long use, requiring reforging/reworking. Folding steel and other such trade secrets of sword making didn’t come about until somewhat late into the use of swords.*
Additionally, when attacking someone in armor(specificly heavy armor), a hammer or axe (preferably of the pick kind) are more effective than a traditional sword. The power behind the stroke will break bones and dent armor easily. Knights used to be in such heavy armor that they’d have a tough time getting up after falling off a horse, so a weapon like a hammer could be used to knock one off fairly easily by unbalancing him (such as the “Goedendag”, which was essentially a long hammer). A pike worked in a similar manner, either killing the horse, or simply pushing the rider off.
*The whole process behind sword making is somewhat funny, because even with modern science, we still aren’t any closer to remaking Damascus or Toleto steel, which were both lost arts when the lines of master to apprentice died off. The current incarnations are lesser makes, attempting to live up to the name.
CheTralfara:
But can we figure out why Hobgoblins in 4th Edition Chaos Dwarf armies only had axes as hand weapons?
Is it supposed to be because the Chaos Dwarfs are who armed them? (and they don’t produce spears and such.)
Kera foehunter:
lol my dwarfs use swords !! agggggguuggh
Henroth:
I rarely if ever see Dwarfs with swords. It is either axes or hammers. While I can see the hammers having a reason for being popular, the axes confuse me personally. I don't see why they love axes so much, yet I almost never (if ever) see swords.
Swissdictator
Yes, I see Chaos Dwarfs with swords, look :
http://www.zharr-naggrund.podrna.com/zn/img/enanoscaos/jblanche.jpg
:hat off
Swissdictator:
dedwrekka: I really like your 2nd point, I hadn’t thought of it that way… and that’s really cool as I’m also a young historian. 
Thanks!
Thanks to everyone else who responded, a lot of nice points here.
cornixt:
Looking at the models, standard warrriors have axes, the next up the chain of command have curved swords, and the top have hammers. The exception is the Lord models, which have small axes, presumably magic.
Kera foehunter:
axes are more of a terror weapon too as a chopping weapond. You deep down know a ax can do alot of dammage !!
pluss a sword is a gentleman weapond it show one with power and rank
Border Reiver:
Why the hobgoblins would have axes if they are armed by the Dawi Zharr.
The DZ have lots of axes in their arsenals already to arm their own troops so the older weapons can be readily supplied to the “allied troops”. Quite a common phenomena in ancient and recent history. For example, client states beholden to the US would be equipped with whatever gov’t surplus the US Army was ready to get rid of (how many S. American armies were using M1 Garands and Carbines in the 50s and 60s?), or client states beholden to the former USSR had SKSs and AK-47s.
Plus, axes are much cheaper to produce than other weapons (except the spear), and why spend money on equipping your allies?
Ammrik Gunrock:
Dwarfs simply use the tools of their trade as weapons. Infact, most weapons are just farmer tools converted into weapons of war. Swords are the only weapon that only have one purpose. Swords kill, an axe can also chop wood, a hammer can nail things, a flail can clear brush etc…
Like others have said. Since they’re craftsmen they use what they have avaliable, which it there tools and since its become tradition, I highly doubt they would change, even Chaos dwarfs wouldn’t do that I would imagine.
Additionally, when attacking someone in armor(specificly heavy armor), a hammer or axe (preferably of the pick kind) are more effective than a traditional sword. The power behind the stroke will break bones and dent armor easily. Knights used to be in such heavy armor that they’d have a tough time getting up after falling off a horse, so a weapon like a hammer could be used to knock one off fairly easily by unbalancing him (such as the “Goedendag”, which was essentially a long hammer). A pike worked in a similar manner, either killing the horse, or simply pushing the rider off.
dedwrekka
All true, but Dwarfs main enemy are Greenskins…and Greenskins aren’t known for there armour. so they wouldn’t feel the need to pierce all that much, and a few broken bones would hardly stop an Orc that easy (unless a rib punctured a lung or something)
And as others have said…cause Tolkien said they uses axes.
-Ammrik Gunrock
Kera foehunter:
yea but it more fun to drop a orc with black power weapons, or take out have a group of wolf rider before the get close enough to use a hammer
Tarrakk Blackhand:
Axes make larger cuts too. If you can fell a tree with one, what better to kill an ork with?
snowblizz:
Interestingly the 6th ed dwarf book has a bit describing dwarfs making swords for an Empire contract.
The dwarfs remarks there’s no skill in making a sword compared to a proper axe or hammer. Since they don’t use swords the apprentices practice on the stuff that don’t matter much.
It doesn’t go on to explain the reason dwarfs despise swords but I’d imagine it is closely tied as mentioned with the impracticality of using a sword as a dwarf.
Note though that up until 5th edition dwarfs did use swords. Friend of mine has loads of old marauder Dwarfs and Citadel dwarfs with swords. The hammer/axe thing really is a 6th ed thing to further hammer in their image.
